Cruising towards Christmas and the New Year - it's the December Flylady thread.

[CotswoldStrife]

Ho, ho, ho - welcome to the December Flylady thread. We'll be following the Flylady method and enforcing order on our houses. Feel free to join in. The monthly focus for December is pampering

I'll be posting links to the daily missions, daily focus and the zone cleaning - don't worry about the detailed zone cleaning if you haven't already decluttered, Flylady recommends decluttering first.

You can probably already tell my personal level of dedication to the internet, not the house as I've looked up the Christmas smileys specially. No washing up was done in the making of this post.

I'll post the first December links tonight!

I'm catching up on the last couple of days - good news that the car does not require anything too expensive Purple.

Things changed quite dramatically yesterday-I had an accident and the car is a write off. I'm basically fine apart from a few aches and pains. I can't believe it.

Top of the to do list after Christmas is buy a new car. At least dh is off work for a couple of weeks.

We've got a tree up and I've got strictly on with gin.

Purple . I wrote my car off (my fault) just over a year ago. Was horrid and had to do the same in terms of buying a new car really quickly. Kept going over and over it in my head afterwards .

Zoo ha, I will remind her to think of me if she hits the big time!! SC, I know what you mean about this thread. It's like a nice soothing cup of tea sometimes .

At my in laws so no house stuff done. Their house is so tidy and it always makes me despair of mine but then they have all the time in the world to keep it tidy.

Ta da:-
Lovely family Christmassy day (although DCs were playing up by teatime)
Some Xmas cards done
MIL kindly doing washing
No dishwasher loading needed

To do:-
Bedtime
Before bed routine
Xmas to do list
If time... some more Xmas cards

Also to do:-
Studying

Thanks toostressy-this was my fault and I feel like a total wally. I've been driving for nearly twenty years and never had a bump before and it's shaken me up a bit. I'm sure it'll be fine in the end.

Forgot, good luck with the studying. I always find it hard to work at other people's houses.

Poor you Purple no wonder you are feeling a bit shell shocked. Hope Strictly took your mind off it a bit.

Whoknows good to know Christmassy things still happen in UK secondary schools - not a lot here apart from a brief visit from St Nic - they are so just so obsessed with exams, nothing else seems to matter

Toostressy hurrah for lovely Christmassy days!

Complete failure here on both Flying and Christmas prep front, a lot of time wasted faffing about micro-managing dh and dd but I did visit an expat shop here which is a wierd disconcerting combo of a local Spar combined with Harrods Food Halls . Bought myself Homes and Gardens - yay! And the Radio Times - yay! And Waitrose mincemeat of all things - yay! And ... drum roll ... some proper English cheese ... yay! And a gammon ham for Boxing Day! - yay! All things I have really missed. Although not particularly good for waistline!!

G'night all!

Sorry Purple re car - these things come out of the blue and can unsettle us a good deal - main thing is you are safe and everything else is just in the noise really yes?!

Ta das here - big book sort out, everything much more organised and masses to go to charity shop next week. Feeling proud but drained.

Purple sorry to hear about the car and I'm glad you are OK. It is a shock though, I was rattled for weeks when my car got written off and I wasn't even in it at the time!

I am impressed by the amount of bags leaving everyone's house but my own I know that I have plenty to add to the party but I'm not actually filling them like everyone else is.

Steam cleaners - we have a wallpaper-removal one, bit big to break out for minor jobs but is fantastic at some cleaning and especially defrosting the freezer in record time. I bought lots of attachments so it can do floors, carpets etc. Haven't used it for a while (probably since buying a frost-free fridge freezer )

Luckily, I'm not as stiff as I was expecting today and DD's finger is doing OK after being skated over too. I'm taking all the blame for it even though she actually fell over and spun under my skate defensive

Wine, I mean links next ...

Ta da:
Before bed routine (easy in someone else's house )
Some Xmas cards
1 hour's studying but still have so much to do!!!

Tomorrow's to dos:-
Packing to go back home
Wrap birthday present and get DD1 to write a birthday card
More Xmas cards
Write list of presents / cards still to buy
DD2's pre-school cards as is last day wife Xmas on Monday
Laundry etc
Possibly go for a run tomorrow afternoon
Studying - am working my way through a portfolio I have to submit and it is taking ages!!

Where did the links go (too much wine, not pressing post probably) will try that again!

The daily summary for Sunday (also available on the Flylady website at flight plan which should update automatically each day.

**

Baby-step no 18 - read Flylady’s 11 commandments

No zone work or missions at the weekends – woo hoo, enjoy!

The daily focus for Sunday is: renew your spirit

The monthly habit for December is pampering!

current Super Cruise Christmas mission

Oh purple.main thing is you are OK,not that its consolation when you live in the back of beyond

We are having a birthday in da house!!D's is 11(where did the time go)
Hence everyone was up at butt crack of dawn.he has got a mobile,ready fir when starts secondary in September.
I've not slept again
Tadas
Wash done,on dryer
More on
Halfway thru cupboard under stairs when kids got up cont that later
Cats fed
Just going feed the zoolets

Morning everyone. Hope you're ok purple poor you.

Ta das
Dishwasher emptied and loaded
Rubbish out to bin
Washing hung up
Last wrapping done

Need to go out and get some milk but seems like such hard work! Must try and keep motivated today...

Dh is in bed with a hangover so as much use as a chocolate teapot.

Morning all

So last night I decided to bite the bullet, pulled some of the dcs Christmas presents out of hiding , wrapped and returned to hiding places. Think I managed about ten. Doing this highlighted how much I have actually got to wrap.
I don't think I've bought them a ridiculous amount I think it's just the fact that there are four of them so four lots of presents! I also usually end up wrapping into the early hours on Christmas day which I'd really rather prefer not to do this year!

Anyway back to today

Ta Da

Washer on
Bottles sterilising
Pots away
One worktop clear and clean
Sink 'shon'

Going to follow your example Afreshstart

Happy Birthday to your ds Zoo hope you have a lovely day!

Take it steady Foxes!

Newchick I feel your pain over book decluttering - but it has to be done from time to time - I find it horribly difficult though! Congrats on a job well done !

Waves to Whoknows Honu Cotswold¨Toostressy Dogsbum

Greymalkin Muppets Blue Purple Celeste Cag Gowgirl¨and anyone else I've inevitably forgotten!

Dh and dd have gorn orf to the cuntray .. so I have the house to myself in blissful quiet ... not feeling particularly great ... temp going very high and then very low (but that could be my age ) ... and not much energy but currently...

... writing cards, soaking fruit for "last minute" Christmas cakes , lining tins, washing uniform, tackling boudoir - on a sort of 45 min rotation programme .

Keep going everyone!

Afreshstart I meant re: the presents - prest 'post' too soon - rushing!

Meant, have no energy for wrapping presents well in to the early hours asusual this year!

Also: before Christmas, still need to give fridge another clean and wash sofa cushions after ruddy dog jumped on them yesterday with muddy paws

One minor achievement yesterday: managed to sort out bathroom cupboard and tidy up a bit and cover everything in Dettol foam and rinse off! Very effective way of bathroom cleaning when one is feeling feak and weable!

Cotswold that is genius re: defrosting freezer with steam cleaner!

Thanks everyone. I'm really lucky to just feel a bit like ice overdone it at the gym and we can manage with my dh's car for the short term. I was a sobbing mess leaving my car all battered for the salvage guys to collect. It was a heap of junk I moaned about a lot but I'd had it ages and I was quite attached to it. It was lucky dh had a half day and could come and get me. Never mind-it'll be nice to have something that won't break down as much.

sweeping I love the "put the cleaning stuff on and leave it for ages" trick. We have a lot of limescale and viakal plus half an hour of nothing is my favourite bathroom cleaning method.

Ta da's
Christmas shopping done (woo hoo!)
Some decorations up
Bought a tree
Started Christmas cards
Dishwasher unloaded and washing on the radiators

To dos
Decorate tree
Paint skirting boards
Order Christmas meat and make shopping list
Wrapping
Carol concert
Drink mulled wine 🍷

afreshmust start organising wrapping of gifts.there a scarily large pile boxes in my room full stuff and I eint have wrapping paper til Tomorrow

Oh my goodness where are we up to! I'm jumping back into the thread without trying to catch up. I lost it somewhere in the week I got overwhelmed by work. After that I did a crisis clean for when DH came back from abroad, then a few days later I came down with the flu - that put an end to all housework for several days...by which time almost everyone else had flu too.
Short version is that the house is back to a mess again and I need to start somewhere with routines. I feel like I've been saying that for months....

Thanks for the gold star sweeping - I think I earnt it! Maybe 30 paperbacks culled yesterday and more to go when I get round to the books in my bedroom.

Very social day today - friends for lunch and then to carol service - so not much flying done other than primping (house not me!) before and clearing up after.

Lots of work-work still to do before Christmas so will try and have solid work day tomorrow and get some of that under my belt.

Hi everyone,

Back from in laws now and just trying to get a not very tired DD2 to go to sleep.

Ta da:-
Laundry in progress
DD1 asleep
Tea eaten
Before bed routine started
Some wrapping with DD2

To do:-
Phone my mum to discuss plans for Xmas food - not planned at all yet .
Studying - have got to write out a mini essay and really need some time (at least an hour, maybe two ) in front of the computer.
Xmas cards

Ta da:
wrote 12 cards (took ages because included notes to elderly aunts etc)
weighed out dried fruit and soaked it in oj, Guinness and whisky for last minute Christmas cakes
emptied dw
washed school uniform
hung up school uniform + one other wash to dry
polished dd shoes
triaged washing
cleared up kitchen
filled dw again
cooked supper and tidied up kitchen again
emptied kitchen bin and cleaned
washed sofa covers
only managed 10 mins tidying in boudoir but better than nothing
phoned dsis2 for cooking advice
2 on-line purchases
found vital school papers
wrote card for friends and wrapped small presents for their dc
friend's drinks do
folded towels
paired socks
found some "missing" presents

That's me done for tonight. Plumber coming at 6.40 am tomorrow morning (yes I know, was only time he could manage before Christmas!) and I've just found out that dd doesn't have to be in school until 1.15 heigh ho; at least I'll get a running start on the day!

To do tomorrow among other things: (and not forget)
reply to tutor
make appts with teachers

Good luck with the essay Toostressy

Newchick wow at 30 pbs! Here's to a productive day tomorrow

Fromwestoeast oh poor you about the flu - we've all had it here - and as a result I am about 10 days behind! I took solace from a German (male) friend of mine I was talking to at lunch-time when I mentioned being v behind with housework who said "why you not tidy up and clean after Christmas when everyone gone like us do" .. think that might be a plan!

Same here re: the wrapping Still I challenge you to a game of "three presents wrapped by noon" tomorrow although I probably will lose knowing your early starts!

Purple glad I am not the only "hands-off" bathroom cleaner on the thread!! Good to hear you are not feeling too achey and sore.

Waves to Cotswold and everyone else!

G'night all!

Good evening all. Another day of inactivity here. DD can be a bit high maintenance when she first finishes school so we've had a day of playing games, some modern video ones and the more retro Cluedo/Monopoly too.

Belated happy birthday to the Zoolet, they do (in fact are expected) to have phones for secondary school now. That will be us next year, DD is about to turn 10.

purple I think it takes about 48 hours for the shock of an accident to hit you really - please go easy on yourself. I took photos of my car on the salvage wagon and the bloke waved to me I was very attached to it.

Finished wrapping foxes, I haven't even started or bought some of it yet!

SC I used to have a Jane Asher last minute cake recipe that included boiling the fruit in beer. Not the best smell when cooking but it tasted lovely!

west don't worry about jumping in, I'm doing the least of anyone here. Really!

Links next, tomorrow is another day

The daily summary for Monday (also available on the Flylady website at flight plan which should update automatically each day.

**

Baby-step no 19 - read the testimonials

We are in Zone 4 this week: the master bedroom and en-suite if applicable

Spend 15 mins decluttering in Zone 4.

When you have finished decluttering, the detailed cleaning list (if you are at that stage) for Zone 4 is here

Mission for Monday do a 27 fling boogie in your bedroom

The daily focus for Monday is: weekly home blessing hour

The monthly habit for December is pampering!

Current Super Cruise Christmas mission